The Name Sisters are so much fun and they're all wonderful women! If you're looking for lovely, stunning, and sophisticated names, these ladies will hook you up! Be sure to look for them on youtube as well. Their videos are full of laughs and great names! They're also on facebook so check them out there as well.

I love Baby Names from the Bible because it primarily focuses on my favorite category of baby names, among many other reasons. Alexia Mae, who runs Baby Names from the Bible, really does a great job researching her names and designing her site. She's another Name Sister and another wonderful instagrammer. I highly recommend following Names Daily on instagram!

Abby at Appellation Mountain features such awesome names! I love her graphics and the lists she puts together! She's another great person to follow on instagram. Abby even does private name consultations! Talk about a dream job for a name lover!

I love Meagan's website and her videos too! She loves the classics but she always features a wide variety of names. She comes up with the most interesting name lists! She's another great person to follow on instagram!

If you are looking for more research than you could possibly want on biblical names, Abarim Publications is the place to go! They offer such depth in their explanations and have such a masterful understanding of the biblical languages.

Oh, Nameberry! It's the name site I go to most often and it's tagline is certainly correct, "baby names, only cooler.". Namberry is a blog, database, and forum all at once! If you're a name lover or someone looking to make an impeccable name choice for their child, you need to join Nameberry!

Well, those are some of my very favorite sites when it comes to baby names! Be sure to check them out and follow them on social media!

If you'd prefer to have a book in your hands to make this big decision, check out Beyond Ava and Aiden by Pamela Satran, one of the authors on Nameberry.

My name crush this Monday is the wonderful yet-to-be discovered word name Brave. I prefer it on a boy but I could see it being used on a girl as well. Brave makes for a bold (pun semi-intended) choice but I love it! It's familiar because it's a word yet not often heard as a name. Using Brave as a name is somewhat along the lines of using Legend or Marvel as a name (however, Brave is classier in my opinion). Virtue names for boys are few and far between and I think Brave is one of the best. I also think Brave makes a great middle name. Similar Bravery would make a great choice as well. It rhymes with the very popular Avery.

So what do you think about Brave? First name, middle name only, or just a guilty pleasure? Let me know in the comments!

Hey everybody! It's time for names of the week again! This week's names are from two of my favorite scary movies. I'm not saying which but points to you if you can guess. While these names may come from scary movies, they're perfectly wonderful names. I hope you enjoy!

Stella

Origin: Latin

Meaning: star

Ranked #66 in 2014

Stella is a gorgeous yet understated little name that has made quite the comeback. With it's modern yet classic sound and celestial meaning, Stella has so much going for it! Appearently plenty of people agree with me on this because Stella has already risen to #66 in the US top 1000. Personally, I have met my share of Isabellas and Gabriellas but I've yet to meet a little Stella and I would love to!

Movie Hint: Though not the title character, Stella is the woman in white.

Tucker is an adorable little occupational name that's become quite popular. Tucker has a sweet southern feel but one that's very on trend. Tuck is an absolutely adorable nickname! Though not the movie I was refering to, Tucker definitely had the best name on the Are You Afraid of the Dark TV series.

Movie Hint: Though they've made a trilogy, it could be described as "working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way".

Hello everyone! I'm really excited about this article. I haven't done a historical family tree article before but it combines two of my favorite things: names and history. My latest names of the week were Laura and Wilder, inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder and thought it would be fun to talk about some of the names from her family tree. I hope you enjoy!

We'll start off with the surname Ingalls:

Ingalls

Ingalls comes from the Norse name Ingjaldr meaning "to pay or recompense". Surnames as first names are certainly on trend right now. If names like Sutton and Collins (both in the top 1000 for girls) are being used, I think Ingalls or maybe Ingle could be usable.

I really think that this is a lovely name. Maybe I think it flows really well because she's so famous but I really do think Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder sounds lovely. Laura Elizabeth means "Crowned (laureled) and devoted to God", which has a beautiful spiritual meaning. When the Bible talks about receiving your crown, it's in reference to the laurel crown that Greek athletes would receive when they finished a race. I've actually considered the combination of Elizabeth Laurel before. Laura Ingalls Wilder is a fantastic namesake for a little girl.

Laura's parents:

Charles Phillip Ingalls (January 10, 1836-Died June 8, 1902)

Charles- "free man"Phillip- "lover of horses"
Charles Phillip is a combination of two strong, classic names. It's very fitting for a man in his time period but I can also see it on a modern boy whose parents love classic names, especially with the nickname Charlie. Charles Phillip means "a free man and lover of horses", which seems appropriate for the pioneer and homesteader that he was. Charles "Pa" Ingalls is a very beloved character in the books and TV show which provides another great namesakes for a young Charles.

Caroline Lake Quiner Ingalls (December 12, 1839-April 20, 1924)Caroline- "free man"Lake- "lake"
Something I think is interesting about Caroline L. Quiner marrying Charles Ingalls is that Caroline is a feminine form of the name Charles. It's also a form of Charlotte, which the name of Caroline's mother. Caroline, like Charles, means "free man". Caroline Lake means "free man of the lake". Lake is certainly an interesting middle name choice and it made me think it might be a family name, but I couldn't find anyone with that name in her family tree. (If you have more sources on that, please leave it in the comments!) Caroline is a classic and it's gaining in popularity these days, though not as quickly as Charlotte. Caroline "Ma" Ingalls is also a very endearing figure in both the book and TV series and a great namesake.

Mary Amelia Ingalls is Laura's beloved older sister who tragically goes blind from scarlet fever in their childhood. In the TV series Mary marries a man named Adam Kendall, but in the books and in real life. Mary never got married. She lived with her younger sisters Grace and then Carrie in her later life. Mary Amelia means "bitter or strong work". Despite her challenges she achieved much in her life and was very industrious, as her name implies. There are many great Marys in history and Mary Ingalls is among them.

Caroline Celestia Ingalls Swanzey (August 3, 1870-June 2, 1946)Caroline- "free man"Celestia "heavenly"
I found Caroline Celestia Ingalls Swanzey, who went by Carrie, to be an intriguing historical figure. She was an independent and adventurous woman. She filed for a homestead in South Dakota as a single woman, which as unusual and she traveled to many different states. In her 40s, she married David Swanzey and helped raise his two children, Mary and Harold. Caroline Celestia means "heavenly free man". Celestia is one of the most interesting names I found in the Ingalls family tree. Caroline is already a pretty popular name in the 21st century but I think Celestia has a lot of potential to rise in popularity. It's a great name choice for someone wanting an on trend name that's not yet popular.Charles Frederic Ingalls (November 1, 1875-August 27, 1876)Charles- "free man"Frederic "peaceful ruler"

Charles Frederic is the only son of Charles P. and Caroline L. Ingalls. He tragically died before his first birthday. In her books, Laura Ingalls Wilder omits the era in her family's life entirely. Charles Frederic means "free man who rules in peace".

Grace Pearl Ingalls Dow (May 23, 1877-November 10, 1941)Grace- "Grace"Pearl= "pearl"
Grace Pearl Ingalls Dow was the youngest child of Charles and Caroline Ingalls and their fourth girl. She married Nathan Dow in 1901. They never had any children. I found it interesting that they chose two word names for Grace, when they hadn't chosen any for any of their other children. Two consecutive word names is a bit much for my taste but I guess it was just perfect for Ma and Pa. Grace Pearl means "pearl of grace".

I hope you guys enjoyed reading about the names from Laura Ingalls Wilder's family tree. Be on the look out for a part two where I discuss some of her extended family and also an article about the names from Almanzo Wilder's family tree, which will include Laura and Almanzo's daughter Rose Wilder Lane.Be sure to tell me which name you liked the best in the comments and if you learned anything interesting! God bless and thanks for reading!

I also can't recommend this series of books highly enough! They're wonderful to share as a family. If you purchase through this link, you're supporting this blog and I greatly appreciate it.

Or, if you'd prefer, this beautiful leather-bound edition would be a great addition to any library and would make a lovely heirloom.

The Little House on the Prairie TV show is also great to share with your whole family!

Hello everyone! It's a new week and I have some new names to share with you! I'm still working off of my Little House on the Prairie theme but this week I'm featuring some names from Laura and Almanzo's family tree. I hope you enjoy!

Celestia

Origin: Latin

Meaning: heavenly

Not ranked in the top 1000 in 2014

Celestia is an uncommon girls name that has the same princessy feel as many of today's most popular names. It would make a great alternative to Isabella, Olivia, or Gabriella. Celestia has a beautiful, appealing meaning. All children are a heavenly gift. Lessie and Tia are lovely nicknames for Celestia. Where this name comes in on Laura and Almanzo Wilder's family tree is it is the middle name of Caroline "Carrie" Ingalls, Laura's sister.

Royal

Origin: English

Meaning: royal

Ranked #573 in 2014

Royal is a fast rising name! It made a leap from outside the top 1000 to #573 for boys in the past two years! I can see why it's rising. Even though it's been used as a name for quite some time, Royal feels like a very modern name. Royal Gould Wilder is the name of Almanzo Wilder's brother. I remember reading Famer Boy, the book Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about Almanzo's childhood, and really liking Royal's name. Is it a little pretentious? Maybe a little. But it certainly feels on trend while still having the weight of history behind it.

I'm currently working on a couple of articles about some of the names in Laura and Almanzo's family tree so if you enjoyed these, be on the look out for those articles! What do you think of Celestia and Royal?

If you haven't read the Little House on the Prairie series, you definitely should! If you haven't read it with your children, I highly recommend it! I read a quote recently that said "Children are made readers on the laps of their parents." If you don't own a copy and would like to buy, please consider clicking the link below. It supports my blog, which in turn supports me and our growing family!

You can also listen to some great books on audible! If you'd like a free trial of audible, click the link below. Even by just beginning this free trial, you support this blog, which supports our family! It would mean a lot to us if you'd accept this gift of two free audio books with the free trial.

Susannah is a Hebrew name meaning "lily" and it doesn't rank in the top 1000 for 2014 in any of its spellings, though the diminutive Susan ranks in the bottom part top 1000. Susannah is simple, sweet and charmingly old-fashioned. It's familiar but a little Susannah would be unlikely to meet a girl her age that shares her name. If you want to honor a Lily or if the flower lily is special to you (I had some in my wedding bouquet), Susannah would make a lovely choice without all the popularity of Lily, Lillian, and Liliana. There is a biblical Susannah (many versions spell it Susanna or Suzanna) who was an early follower of Jesus. Jesus also talks about lilies in the famous "do it worry" sermon in Matthew 6, so both the name itself and the meaning have biblical ties. Susannah is a front runner on my girls list. My only hesitation is I don't know how I feel about the traditional nicknames of Sue and Susie but I don't think Zanna goes well with my last name. Maybe I'm crazy but I was thinking the stylish nickname Sadie (normally a diminutive of Sarah) could work as a nickname form Susannah. What do you think? What would you call a little Susannah?

What names are you crushing on lately? Let me know in comments! Thanks for reading and God bless!

Hi everyone! I thought it would be fun to play some name games together! I know I have more awesome name combos stored in my brain than I could possibly use for actual children so name games are one way to express some creative naming energy! I hope you have fun with these and please let me know in the comments which names you chose!

Note: Middle names are optional.

My names:

B: Alistair Clement

B: Azariah Gabriel

G:Aurora Mercy

G: Abigail Johannah

My names:

G: Meadow Susannah

(we were married in Meadow, TX)

G: Carmen Layla

(honeymoon in Playa del Carmen, Mexico)

B: Bennett Micah

(I grew up on Bennett St.)

My answers:

G: Marigold Elizabeth

B: Oak Ethan

G: Ember Seraphina

I hope you had fun with this! I always enjoy these and I hope we can do some more in the future. For more fun and name games, check out belovedbabynames on instagram!

Hello everybody! It's been awhile since I've done a names of the week post but I'm trying to get back into the swing of posting regularly again (if you want to know why I took a quick break, check out this update), and I thought this would be a great way to start. If you're wondering how I chose this week's names of the week, I was going through some things at my mom;'s house and came across two books of writings by Laura Ingalls Wilder that I didn't remember that I had. I love the Little House series, especially These Happy Golden Years and The First Four Years, so I'm excited to actually sit down and read these books!

Laura

Origin: Latin

Meaning: laurel tree

Ranked #318 in 2015

Laura is so lovely and the epitome of a simply sweet name. It brings up an image of a strong but feminine pioneer woman farming on the prairie (which is why I chose wheat for the background). I probably have that image because of Laura Ingalls Wilder and she is a great namesake for this name. Laura classic enough to not feel overly dated and it still quite well-used. I didn't know many Lauras growing up but I did know a few Laurens. Lauren is still more popular than Laura, but not as timeless. Laurel is another similar name that's more directly associated with nature and not nearly as popular. I think Laurel is my favorite out of the three, but Laura is completely endearing and I can see why it has continued to be well-used decade after decade.

Wilder

Origin: English, surname

Meaning: wilder

Not ranked in the top 1000 in 2014

Wilder is one of my favorite guilty pleasure names but I would use it in a heartbeat if it went with my last name (maybe for my next puppy?). For me, Wilder is one of those names that I would just swoon over if I were to meet someone with it. Wilder has been chosen by many celebrity parents but it's totally usable for non-celebrity babies as well. In fact, as of right now, you'd be ahead of the trend. Laura and Almanzo Wilder are great pioneer namesakes for this but then there's also days-gone-by Hollywood association of Gene Wilder. Wild is the most obvious nickname for Wilder but Will is feasible as well. Wilder seems like the perfect name for a little boy with an adventurous spirit, or maybe mischievous streak.

If you're curious, these are the Laura Ingalls Wilder books that I came across. There's sure to be great reads and something wonderful to share with children.

Check out that incredible sale!

Of course,The Little House on the Prairie Series are Laura Ingalls Wilder's most famous works. These are some of the stories I most look forward to sharing with my children.

Thanks so much for reading and God bless! I'd love to know your thoughts on the names Laura and Wilder, as well as what your favorite book by Laura Ingalls Wilder is!

Hello everyone! I have been mostly absent from the blogging world for about a month now and I think it's about time that I tell you why. Well, I bet you probably figured it out by the title of this post: we're adopting! We are going through the approval process to adopt from the Department of Family Services here in Texas so I've been dedicating a lot of time and energy towards that. We are just about done with the approval process and all the paperwork so I finally took the time to write a post about where we're at with everything. If you click the link below, it will take you to my other blog where you can read What I Want You To Know About Our Decision to Adopt.

I mention it over there but I thought I'd mention it here too. if you'd like to do something to help support our family in this process, of course we primarily ask for your prayer,s but you can also help us by helping to support this blog. By clicking the link to the right, you can get two free books on audible.com. It costs you nothing and it helps support this blog, in turn supporting us. I'd also like to recommend that you choose Adopted For Life by Russell Moore as one of your free books, even if you're not adopting and don't plan on it. It's absolutely faith changing in the way it describes how God adopted us.

Thanks so much for reading! I hope to be back to my regular blogging schedule soon! God bless!

The Hello everyone! Sorry for the unexpected absence! We've had a busy last couple of weeks! Anyway, Beloved Baby Names is back with a new name crush Monday!

Azariah

Hebrew

"Helped by the Lord"

Ranked #838 for boys in 2014

Azariah was popular back in biblical days but it fell out of favor for quite a while. It's gaining popularity again, though, and is in the bottom half of the top 1000. In the Bible, Azariah is a man's name but these days, people are using it for boys and girls. Personally, I only like it for boys and the pronunciation I like is azz-ahr-EYE-yuh. There are several Azariahs in the Bible but the one that's most notable to me is one of Daniel's three friends in the book of Daniel who are better known by their Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I think they deserve to be known by their Hebrew names. Their Babylonian names refer to pagan gods but their Hebrew names honor the God of Heaven that they risked their lives to follow. (I talk more about that in my post about the name Hananiah.) Azariah certainly was helped by the Lord, like his name means, in the fiery furnace. I think he makes a great namesake for a modern boy.

Labels

Grab a button

Disclosure

Alyssa Thys is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.